Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation on retreat at the Manoir de Beaujeu, west of Montreal, on December 28, 2023.

Today the Holy Innocents. The priest’s vestments are red, the color of martyrs, in memory of those Innocents who gave testimony to Christ, as the opening prayer says non loquendo sed moriendo, not by speaking but by dying, as first fruits for God and the Lamb.

The children die without knowing what is happening; mothers see their innocent lives cut short without knowing why. There is no apparent explanation. The children’s suffering at first glance seems useless and unjust. Their lives bear witness to a truth they aren’t even aware of. But God rewards their total self-sacrifice with eternal glory, with the enjoyment and direct vision of God, And the little ones, wrenched from their mothers arms and made co-redeemers with Christ at such a young age, enjoy in heaven the fruitfulness of their sacrifice: These innocent children were slain for Christ. They follow the spotless Lamb, and proclaim for ever: Glory to you, Lord.
sanctification

Peter